6-halo-6-dehydro steroids



United States Patent 9 24 Claims. ((31. 260-23955) GHzOR wherein A represents a single or double bond, Y represents =0 or X represents fluorine or chlorine, X is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and chlorine; B represents 16a,17a-dihydroxy, 16a-acyloxy-17a-hydroxy or a cyclic ketal or acetal at C16a,17oc; R represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid acyl group of up to 12 carbon atoms. The acyl groups are derived from hydrocarbon carboxylic acids containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and may be saturated or unsaturated, straight chain or branched chain, cyclic or cyclic-aliphatic, and may be substituted by hydroxy, acyloxy containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, alkoxy containing from 1 to 5 carbon atoms, halogen or other groups. Typical ester groups are the acetate, propionate, butyrate, hemisuccinate, enanthate, caproate, benzoate, trimethylacetate, acetoxy acetate, phenoxyacetate, phenylpropionates, cyclopentylpropionates and fl-chloropropionates. When X is chlorine, B is preferably a cyclic acetal or ketal.

The novel compounds, object of the present invention, are potent cortical hormones having the desirable mineral corticoid activity; they exhibit glycogenic, eosinopenic,

thymolytic and anti-inflammatory activity.

The following equation illustrates a process for preparing the new compounds heretofore set forth:

M 3,1922%3 Ice Patented June 291, 1965 l onion Y Qln In the above formulas X, X Y, B and R represent the same groups as heretofore set forth.

The starting materials used in practicing the process illustrated by the above equation have been disclosed and claimed in US. applications Serial No. 762,232, filed September 22, 1958, and Serial No. 819,545, filed June 11, 1959, now US. Patent No. 3,126,375.

In practicing the process of the present invention, a 21- ester of the monounsaturated M-compound (I) is heated with tetrachloro-p-benzene-quinone (chloranil). When this heating is carried out in a mixture with xylene, a A diene is obtained as the main product, whereas in a mixture with n-amyl alcohol, a A -triene is obtained as the main product.

The A -dienes (II) may be converted into the A trienes (III) by a second refluxing with chloranil, this time with n-amyl alcohol, or by refluxing with selenium dioxide, preferably in mixture with t-butanol and in presence of catalytic amounts of pyridine.

The esters of the dienes and trienes were converted into the free alcohols by treatment with a diluted methanolic solution of potassium hydroxide or sodium methoxide under an atmosphere of nitrogen and at low temperatures. The primary and secondary hydroxyl groups were reesterified by reacting with the anhydride of a hydrocarbon carboxylic acid ofup to 12 carbon atoms in pyridine solution.

In the case of l6a,l7u.-ketals or -acetals B represents B I I D D 'o R" wherein R stands for a hydrocarbon residue and R for hydrogen atom or a hydrocarbon residue. R and R can also stand jointly for a cyclic hydrocarbon. The formation of ketals and cyclic acetal by reacting an or glycol with a ketone or an aldehyde in the presence of a catalyst of a dehydrating agent, such as zinc chloride, is a known reaction. Applied to steroid compounds there were prepared, for example, acetonides by treating an acetone solution of a steroid, having in the molecule a cis-glycol grouping, with dry hydrogen chloride gas under anhydrous conditions. For the formation of cyclic 16oz, 17a-ketals and acetals there was used the method of Fried et al. (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 80, 2338 (1958)), involving agitating a mixture of the steroid with the ketone or aldehyde, at room temperature, in the presence of small amounts of mineral acid, preferably perchloric acid. 1

The following specific examples serve to illustrate but are not intended to limit the present invention.

Example I A mixture of 5 g. of the 21-acetate of 6a-fluOI0-16ahydroxy-hydrocortisone, 8 g. of chloranil and 200 cc. of xylene was refluxed during 12 hours, cooled, diluted with ether, washed with water, 5% sodium carbonate solution and againwith water until neutral, dried over anhydrous sodium sulfate, filtered and concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure. Chromatography on alumina produced the 21-acetate of 6-fluoro-A -pregnadien11fl,16 x,17a,21- tetrol-3,20-dione.

Example 11 A'mixture'of 3 g. of the Zl-acetate of 6ot-fii101O-16ahydroxy hydrocortisone, g. of chloranil and 120 cc. of n-arnyl alcohol, was refluxed for 16 hours and was Worked up as described in the first paragraph of Example I. There was obtained the 21-acetate of 6-lluoro-A -pregnatrien- 1l5,16a,17,2l-tetrol-3,20-dione, identical with the final compound of Example 1.

Example III 3 g. of the Zl-acetate of 6-fiuoro-A -pregnadien-11,6, l6oc,l7u,2l-tetrol-3,2O-dione, the intermediate of Exampie 1, was refluxed in mixture with 5 g. of chloranil and 120 cc. of n-a1nyl alcohol for 18 hours; the reaction product was then worked up as described in the first paragraph of the said example. There Was thus obtained the 21- acetate of 6-iuoro-A -pregnatrien-1l/3,16ot,17a,21-tetrol- 3,20-dione.

Example IV By the method of Example I, the 21-propionate of 60afluoro-l6a-hydroxy hydrocortisone was converted to the 21-propionate of 6-fiuoro-A -pregnadien-1 1,8,16a,17a,21- tetrol-3,2()-dione, and by the subsequent reaction with selenium dioxide, there Was formed the 2-propionate of 6 fiuoro A pregnatrien-l1B,l6a,l7a,21-tetrol-3,2O- dione.

Example V By the methods of the previous examples there were obtained:

Starting material A 0 -compounds A 6 -compounds ll-acetate of Got-fluoroloa-hydroxy-cortisons.

2l-acctate of 6-fiu0ro- 4, (i-pregnadien-ltm, 17a, 2l-triol-3, 11, ZO-trione.

21-acctate of S-fiuoro- 4,6-pregnadien-11B, 16a,17u,2l-tctr01-3, -di0ne.

Ida-hydroxy hydrocortisone 16-acetate-2l-cyclopentylpropionate of fia-fluoro-lfia-hydroxy-hydrocortisone acetonide of ZI-acetate 16-aeetate-2l-cyclopentylpropionate of 6-1lu0ro-4,6-pregnadien-llfl, 160:, 17a, 21-tetr01-3, 20-di0ne.

aeetonidc of 21-acetate 3,20dione. l6-acetate-21-cyclopentylpropionate of 6-fiuoro-l,4,6- pre gnatriene-11B,16a,l7a, 21,tetrol-3, ZO-dione. acetom'de of 2l-acetato hexyl-A -pregnenhexyl-4,6-pregnahexy1-1,4,6-prr; g- 21-01-3 ,ll ,20-trione dien21-0l-3,11,20- natrien-2l-ol-3,

trione. 11,20-tri0ne.

Example VI a few drops of acetic acid; the precipitate was filtered, washed with water and dried. Crystallization from acetone-hexane give free 6 luoro-A -pregnadicml1,6,16a, l7a,2l-tetrol-3,2il-dione. V

1 g. of the above compound was dissolved in a mixture of 10 cc. of pyridine and 3 cc. of propionic anhydride, the mixture was kept at room temperature overnight, poured into Water, heated on a steam bath for half an hour and cooled. The precipitate was filtered, Washed with water and dried. Crystallization from acetone-hexane give the 16,2l-dipropionate of 6-fluoro- A -pregn adieu-1 1p, 1 6a, 17a,21-tetrol-3 ,2G-dione.

Example VII By the method of Example VI, the ester groups of A and A -compounds, enumerated in the table of Example V, were hydrolyzed. In some cases such hydrolysis was carried out by treating with methanolic solution of 1% potassium at temperatures around 5 C. under nitrogen atmosphere and for 1 hour, using approximately 50 cc. of the potassium hydroxide solution for 1 g. of the steroid. By the method of Example VI, the primary and secondary hydroxyl groups of the dienes and trienes were esterified; specifically by using the correspondinganhydrides of acids, the diacetates, dibenzoates and dicyclopentylpropionates of such compounds were prepared.

I claim:

1. A compound of the following formula:

CHgOR wherein A is selected from the group consisting of a double bond and a single bond; X isselected from the group consisting of hydrogen, fluorine and chlorine, Y

.is selected from the group consisting of :0 and R is selected from thegroup consisting of hydrogen and a hydrocarbon carboxylic acyl group of less than 12 carbon atoms, R is selected from the group consisting of hydroxy and hydrocarbon carboxylic acyloxycontaining less than 12 carbon atoms; R represents hydroxy and R and R together represent the grouping in which R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl and R is lower alkyl.

2. 6-fluoro-A -pregnadiene-16a,l7a,21 triol-3,1l,20- trione.

3. 6-fluoro-A -pregnadiene-16a,17m,21 triol-3,11,20- trione ZI-acetate.

4. 6-fluoro A pregnadiene-llfi,16a,17a,2l-tetrol- 3,20-dione.

5. 6-fiuoro A pregnadiene-llfl ,16a,l7ct,21-tetrol- 3,20-dione 21-acetate.

6. 6-fluoro A pregnadiene-llfi,l6ot,l7a,2l-tetrol 3,20-dione 21-propionate.

7. 6-fluoro A pregnadiene-l 1B,l6 t,17a,2-1-tetrol- 3,20-dione 16-acetate 2l-cyclopentylpropionate.

8. 6-fiuoro A pregnadiene-l1B,16a,l7a,21-tetrol- 3,20-dione 16,2l-dipropionate.

9. 6,9a-difluoro A pregnadiene 11B,16o,17oa,21- tetr0l-3,20-di0ne.

10. 6,9a-difluoro A 1 pregnadiene 11,6,16a,17u,21- tetrol-3,20-dione 16,21-dipropionate.

11. 6,9oz-dlflll0l'0 A 1 pregnadiene 11/3,16a,17oa,21- tetrol-3,20-dione 16,17-acetonide ZI-acetate.

12. A compound of the formula CHzOR carbon atoms, R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl; and R is lower alkyl.

13. 6-chloro A pregnadien 11p,16a,17a,21-trio1- 3,20-dione 16,17-acetonide ZI-acetate.

15. 6-fluoro A r fi pregnatriene 16a,17a,21-triol- 3,11,20-trione ZI-acetate.

16. 6-fiuoro A fifi pregnatriene 11,8,16u,17a,21- tetro1-3,20-dione.

17. 6-fiuoro A pregnatriene 11B,16a,17a,21- tetrol-3,20-dione ZI-acetate.

18. 6-fluoro A r fi pregnatriene 11fl,l6oc,17a,21- tetrol-3,20-dione 21-propionate.

19. 6-fluoro A pregnatriene 1lfl,16oc,17oz,21- tetro1-3,20-dione 16-acetate 2l-cyclopentylpropionate.

20. 6-fluoro A fifi pregnatriene 11fi,16u,17a,21- tetro1-3,20-dione 16,21-dipropionate.

21. 6,9a-difluoro-A fi -pregnatriene 11,8,16a,17a,21- tetrol-3-20-dione.

22. 6,9o-difluor0-A f*' pregnadiene 1lfi,16oz,17a,21- tetro1-3,20-dione 16,21-dipropionate.

23. 6,9a-difluoro-A fi -pregnatriene 11B,16oc,17cc,21- tetrol-3,20-dione 16,17-acet0nide 21-acetate.

24. 6-ch1o1'o-A -pregnatriene 11B,16a,17o,21-t6[10l- 3,20-dione 16,17-acetonide 21-,acetate.

No references cited.

LEWIS GOTTS, Primary Examiner. 

1. A COMPOUND OF THE FOLLOWING FORMULA: 